Joie Every Stage Review

The Joie Every Stage car seat is a Group 0+/1/2/3, taking your little one from birth to 36kg.

Start your newborn off in the Every Stage as a rearward-facing seat, from birth to 18kg, then up to 36kg as a forward-facing seat.

As your child grows, so does the seat - as the headrest raises, the AutoAdjust™ sides expand to custom fit little ones.

The Guard Surround Safety™ panels add layers of side impact protection, while the steel reinforced frame absorbs energy upon impact.

Tested by mum Maria Xydhias-mace for the M&B Awards 2017:

Would you recommend this to other mums?

I really like this car seat and would recommend it to my friends that require one. The idea that the seat can be both forward facing and rear facing is a real bonus giving me both the safety option and the ability to change it depending on the vehicle I am fitting it into. It is relatively easy to fit into the car and only takes up one seat space leaving the rest for other passengers which is useful. The padding and support provide my child with great comfort and gives me the confidence that they are both safe and comfy. The harness is sound and clearly is designed with both safety and comfort in mind which has been achieved. The cover is easily removed and washed and the easy to get back on.

How did this product make your life easier?

The car seat is easy to install into the car is not too heavy to lift and manoeuvre with 1 hand. The rotation of the seat means I only have to buy 1 seat that will last a lot longer than having to buy 1 that faces the rear and then another, later on, that faces forward. It is a comfortable and secure car seat that my child is at ease inside.

Would you choose this product to win?

The car seat feels robust and secure once fitted. The padding within the seat is supportive and provides comfort for my child during journeys in the car. The seat fits in the car well and does not take up more than one seat in the car leaving the other seats free. The pockets on each side of the seat are useful storage areas and the colour scheme is eye catching. The harness is secure although the 5 points seem a little excessive.

What changes would you make to this product?

i would not change anything about this product. It provides everything that i and my little one could possibly want in a carseat. It is sturdy, secure and safe and will last the duration that it was intended for as it has been incredibly well made. I have the confidence that this carseat will product my child incase of an accident

Tested by mum Sophie Scarth for the M&B Awards 2017:

Would you recommend this to other mums?

I would recommend this car seat as it's just perfect, the design is amazing the fabric is lovely and it's very easy to use. It's so quick to install into the car and the frame is not heavy to lift in and out of the car. I normally struggle with how heavy they are but this car seat is the perfect weight.

How did this product make your life easier?

It's made my life easier as my son loves to get into this car seat he said it's so nice and comfy to sit and sleep in. It's given me much more time as its so quick and easy to install into the car. I have time now to do other things instead of getting hot and sweaty installing a car seat. This one is just amazing - I love this car seat.

Would you choose this product to win?

It has everything in one car seat and you don't need two different seats now. It's the easiest car seat I've ever installed into my car it's quick and is not heavy so I can carry it in and out of the car and house. The fabric and design are just so lovely.

What changes would you make to this product?

There is not one thing I would change about this car seat, I loved it .

Tested by mum Sarah Hussey for the M&B Awards 2017:

Would you recommend this to other mums?

This is an awful lot of car seat for your money, as it can be used for every stage of your child's car seat requirements from birth right through to 12 years old and there aren't many car seats that can claim to do that! But can a car seat do too much and therefore compromise on finesse for each specific stage? Maybe so and especially for certain stages.

The major drawback of this car seat is the fact that it isn't travel system compatible so when your new born baby is snoozing peacefully, you can't lift the car seat out of the car and click it on to your pushchair chassis or carry it into your home. For me, this makes this car seat unusable for the newborns/stage 0.

The other major drawback is that it has no isofix. Great if you don't have any isofix points in your car though but most do have isofix these days.

The car seat is covered in a wetsuit like material which makes it look extremely comfortable but I found the padding layers quite excessive and after washing the covers, I struggled to put the extra inserts all back in the right place. The strap protectors work really well but my two year old kept undoing the buckle from the first time he used it! He has never done this before and I kept having to pull over to buckle him back in. Not safe and made me wonder if the buckle was easier to open that other car seats we have used previously. There is a buckle cover which is pretty useless, it kept popping off and served no purpose at all.

The car seat is very simple to fit, reclines very easily, the fabric spot cleans really well and the head height adjustment works like a dream. I removed the covers to wash them (my son spilt milk on it and this left a stain!), they dried very quickly and were so easy to fit back on, there is poppers to click in which makes it a nice snug fit - great job! Would I use this car seat for 12 years though? No I wouldn't. I wouldn't use it for the first year and I am sure it would be changed after 4-5 years of use. That still makes this incredible value for for money. I think this is the perfect car seat for a child minder or for a grandparent to use.

How did this product make your life easier?

Removing the covers was really easy as there was a panel by the main straps which simply unfastened so unlike other car seats, you don't have to unclip the straps which can be very cumbersome and then terrifying if you forget how to do it up again! They washed really well and were very easy to fit again.

Would you choose this product to win?

I wouldn't use it for a baby and found the padding to be too bulky. The fabric is easily marked, with milk drying to form a stain. My children often drink and eat in the car so I can imagine the covers would look very grubby, very quickly. At least the covers are easy to remove and do wash well.

What changes would you make to this product?

I could not use this car seat with my two year old as he thinks undoing the buckle is the easiest thing in the world and it simply isn't safe to drive with him in it. I would like to see the tension on the buckle slightly increased so it's harder to undo. I appreciate that this is a fine balance. If this wasn't possible, I think that the buckle cover needs to be rethought so that it is fixed to the main car seat cover, as this could really help prevent my son getting access to the buckle and unclipping it.

Tested by Kim Robertson-Hunt, mum to Henry (four), and expecting her second son.

This seat is reassuringly sturdy from 0+ through to stage 3. It's extremely well padded and makes you feel that your child is as protected as they can be. As your child grows, the car seat grows with them. Not only getting taller for support but wider to ensure they still fit comfortably without compromising their safety.

It's really easy to install and has some great features for example the hidden button to extend the straps and the seat recline is brilliant along with a good choice of colour ways. I would 100% recommend this seat to other parents.